Global Monitoring: WASH related burden of disease for SDG 3.9

WHO is the Custodian Agency for reporting the mortality from unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene (Indicator 3.9.2). In this role, WHO has developed methods and tools to estimate health gains based on the latest available evidence linking water, sanitation and hygiene with mortality and morbidity from diarrhoeal disease as well as other health outcomes. Unsafe WASH is linked to many adverse health outcomes. It is associated with infectious diseases, health risks from exposure to chemicals and other contaminants in drinking-water, as well as impacts on well-being. However, quantification of the related burden of disease is not always possible due to limited epidemiological evidence. SDG indicator 3.9.2 captures the burden of disease linked to unsafe WASH for diarrhoea, acute respiratory infections, soil-transmitted helminth infections and undernutrition.

Contributing Action Number

CA4.50

Primary Entry Point

4: Accelerate progress and transformational change

Additional Entry Point(s)

1: Lead and inspire collective action

Output(s)

Output 4.2: High-quality, disaggregated water and sanitation data and information are available and shared transparently through strengthened national and sub-national monitoring systems and regional and global platforms with support from the UN system

Output 1.2: Action is inspired by compelling and unified UN system communications and messaging on water

SDG 6 Target(s)

SDG target 6.1: Achieve safe and affordable drinking water

SDG target 6.2: Achieve access to sanitation and hygiene and end open defecation

Water-related work on other SDGs

Type of Engagement

Data collection and analysis

Geographical Scope

Global level

More information

https://www.who.int/teams/environment-climate-change-and-health/water-sanitation-and-health/burden-of-disease

Leading Entity

World Health Organization (WHO)

United Nations System-wide Strategy for Water and Sanitation

The Contributing Actions are key initiatives supporting the United Nations System-wide Strategy for Water and Sanitation, aligning individual and joint efforts across UN entities and partnering organizations to advance global water and sanitation goals. These actions are integrated into the Collaborative Implementation Plan (CIP) Results Framework 2025-2028, which provides a structured approach to achieving system-wide impact through coordinated UN efforts.
The Priority Collaborative Actions outlined in the framework focus on enhancing water security, improving governance, strengthening climate resilience, and accelerating progress on sanitation and hygiene. By fostering system-wide collaboration among UN agencies, these actions help drive policy coherence, knowledge sharing, and innovative solutions to address the world’s most pressing water challenges.